Device for turning over sheet materials

ABSTRACT

A device for turning-over sheet materials, mainly furniture panel elements, in which the turning-over means are made so that the turning-over process takes place continuously.

United States Patent [1 1 Petrovas et al.

DEVICE FOR TURNING OVER SHEET MATERIALS Inventors: Albinas-Vitalis Mikaloyaus Petrovas, ulltsa Michurino. 64. kv. 49; Eduard Viktorovich Bavchenkov, ulitsa Serakausko, l9. kv. 2; Evgeny Alexandrovich Yargin, ulitsa Chj'urlenio, 15. kv. 1 la, all of Vilnjus, U.S.S.R.

Filed: Dec. 15, 1970 Appl. No.2 98,298

us. C1 ..19s/33 AB, 198/165 Int. Cl ..B65g 47/24 Field of Search 198/33 AC, 165, 162,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,674,419 6/1928 Titus ..198/l65 2,604,200 7/1952 Holt 198/33 AC 3 ,203 ,5 34 8/1965 Burkhardt 198/165 Primary ExaminerRichard E. Aegerter Attorney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen [57] ABSTRACT A device for turning-over sheet materials, mainly furniture panel elements, in which the turning-over means are made so that the tuming-over process takes place continuously.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR TURNING OVER SHEET MATERIALS The present invention relates to devices for turningover sheet materials, mainly furniture panel elements.

At present, in furniture manufacture gripping-type devices are used for turning over furniture panel elements in the course of their treatment.

In the main, these devices are essentially gripping forks secured on a shaft in a crossor beam-like manner. During the shaft turn the sheets are transported by the forks over the latter and are, thereby, turned over (for example, the device for turning-over sheet materials, manufactured by the Hildebrand firm).

A disadvantage of the conventional devices for turning-over sheet materials lies in that they all operate discretely and in the course of supply of sheets require a certain time interval during which a free grip approaches a next sheet.

All this has a negative effect on the efficiency of the technological line as a whole as it decreases the number of sheets supplied to be turned-over per time unit.

At the same time, in case the sheets to be turned over are of different dimensions, the time intervals between the supply of the sheets are the greater, the shorter are the sheets. Thus, the smaller size of the sheet decreases the efficiency of the technological line to a still greater extent.

The present invention has as its task the provision of such a device for turning-over sheet materials, that would provide for .a mass-continuous movement of sheets.

This task is accomplished by that the device for turning-over sheet materials, mainly furniture panel elements, according to the invention, comprises two conwhich is disposed relative to said conveyors in such a.

manner that in the course of its movement the sheet rests thereupon with its edge.

This design makes it possible to supply sheets to be turnedover in such a manner that they practically abut one another.

It is most expedient to make the second conveyor on which sheets are placed also half-crossed sothat the axis of its front pulley is inclined in the same direction and through the same angle as the axis of the rear pulley of the first conveyor, and to dispose the conveyors so that the clearance between their belts somewhat exceeds the thickness of the sheet being turned-over.

This provides for a smoother turning-over of the sheets and completely precludes damaging of the sheets while they are being turned-over.

It is advisable to make the transportation means on which the sheet rests with its edge also as a continuous crossed belt conveyor.

This embodiment of the transportation means makes the device more reliable in operation and simpler in manufacture and use.

The following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the device for turning over sheet materials, built in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a view taken along arrow A of FIG. 1.

The device for turning-over sheet materials comprises two half-crossed belt conveyors 1 and 2 (FIGS. 1 and 2) arranged consecutively one relative to the other so that along a portion of their length they are disposed near eachother, the clearance between their belts somewhat exceeding the thickness of the sheet being turned-over.

The axes of a front pulley 3 of the conveyor 1 which is the first with respect to the direction of movement of the sheets and of a rear pulley 4 of the other conveyor 2 are disposed horizontally, whereas the axes of a rear pulley 5 of the conveyor 1 and of a front pulley 6 of the conveyor 2 are inclined in one and the same direction (towards the direction in which the sheets are turnedover) and through one and the same angle. The conveyors 1 and 2 are used directly for turning-over the sheets. The fact that the conveyor 2 is also made halfcrossed provides for the smoothest turning-over of the sheets and, consequently, completely precludes any damage of the sheets. But, in order to simplify the manufacture of the device, and when the quality of the sheets is of no particular importance, the conveyor 2 may be made horizontal.

To prevent the sheets being turned-over from sliding off the conveyors l and 2 along their inclined portions, and to provide for the translational movement of the sheets when they occupy an intermediate position close to a vertical one while being transported from the conveyor 1 onto the conveyor 2, use is made of a transportation means which is essentially a crossed belt conveyor 7.

The device functions as follows. The sheets supplied onto the conveyor 11, while moving along the latter are gradually inclined, thereby turning about the longitudinal axis of the device. When in the position between the belts of the conveyors l and 2, the sheet rests with its edge upon the belt of the conveyor 7.

The latter provides for further displacement of the sheet until the moment when, while continuing to turn relative to the longitudinal axis of the device in the same direction, it is placed onto the belt of the conveyor 2 and, thus, is turned onto the opposite side.

TI-Ie device can be used for turning over sheets of a rather great variety of shapes, the corrugated ones included, and can be used not only in furniture manufacture but also in any other manufacture requiring turning-over of any sheet materials from wood, metal, etc.

What we claim is l. A device for turning-over sheet materials, mainly, furniture panel elements, through about the conveying axis in the course of their forward movement, comprising three continuous twisted belt conveyors moving in the same direction, the ends of each of said conveyors being entrained about respectively front and rear pulleys, first and second of said conveyors adapted to effect the conveying and turning-over of the sheet materials being arranged consecutively in the direction of movement of the sheet material movement, at least the trailing end portion of the first conveyor being in overlapping relationship with the leading end portion of the second conveyor and spaced therewith to define a gap exceeding the thickness of the sheet material, said third conveyor conveying the sheet material in the gap between the belts of the first and second conveyors and preventing the sheet material from sliding off said latter conveyors, said third conveyor extending longitudinally with respect to said first and second conveyors and being substantially coextensive with the materialconveying length thereof; the axis of the front pulley of the said first conveyor is disposed horizontally and the axis of its rear pulley is turned in the direction of the angular displacement of the sheet material through an angle of more than 90 but less than 180 relative the axis of said front pulley in a plane perpendicular to the direction of conveyance of the sheet material; the axis of the rear pulley of said second conveyor is disposed horizontally and the axis of its front pulley being turned relative the axis of said front pulley of the second conveyor through an angle of less than and being disposed in parallel relationship with the axis of the rear pulley ofrsaid first conveyor in a plane extending perpendicular to the direction of conveyance of the sheet materials; said third conveyor being twisted so that the belt run on which the edge of the sheet material is supported adjoins the edges of the material bearing portions of said first and second conveyor belts to form a right angle therewith in any sectional plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device. 

1. A device for turning-over sheet materials, mainly, furniture panel elements, through 180* about the conveying axis in the course of their forward movement, comprising three continuous twisted belt conveyors moving in the same direction, the ends of each of said conveyors being entrained about respectively front and rear pulleys, first and second of said conveyors adapted to effect the conveying and turning-over of the sheet materials being arranged consecutively in the direction of movement of the sheet material movement, at least the trailing end portion of the first conveyor being in overlapping relationship with the leading end portion of the second conveyor and spaced therewith to define a gap exceeding the thickness of the sheet material, said third conveyor conveying the sheet material in the gap between the belts of the first and second conveyors and preventing the sheet material from sliding off said latter conveyors, said third conveyor extending longitudinally with respect to said first and second conveyors and being substantially coextensive with the material-conveying length thereof; the axis of the front pulley of the said first conveyor is disposed horizontally and the axis of its rear pulley is turned in the direction of the angular displacement of the sheet material through an angle of more than 90* but less than 180* relative the axis of said front pulley in a plane perpendicular to the direction of conveyance of the sheet material; the axis of the rear pulley of said second conveyor is disposed horizontally and the axis of its front pulley being turned relative the axis of said front pulley of the second conveyor through an angle of less than 90* and being disposed in parallel relationship with the axis of the rear pulley of said first conveyor in a plane extending perpendicular to the direction of conveyance of the sheet materials; said third conveyor being twisted so that the belt run on which the edge of the sheet material is supported adjoins the edges of the material bearing portions of said first and second conveyor belts to form a right angle therewith in any sectional plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device. 